Byantaka and the dead pot
Cornelius Wambi Gulere
Emily Berg
Once upon a time, there was a man called Byantaka who had a cow. Each day Byantaka grazed his cow. He also gave the cow water to drink, but Byantaka only had a very small pot for water.
So, he went at his neighbour's home to borrow a bigger pot for water. His neighbour agreed to lend Byantaka his biggest clay pot saying, "My neighbour's problem is my problem."
After a few days, Byantaka went to a potter and bought a small pot. He took it home. He put the small pot inside the big pot that he had borrowed from his neighbor.
Then, he put the big pot, with the small pot inside it, on his head. He carried the big pot to the neighbour who loaned it to him.
Byantaka told him, "I am returning your pot, it has reproduced." The neighbour was amazed that his pot had produced another pot. He praised Byantaka saying, "Your home is blessed."
After a while, Byantaka went back to his neighbour to borrow the pot again. He did not have good intentions.
The owner of the big pot waited excitedly for Byantaka to return his pot. Eventually he went to Byantaka's home and said, "I have come for my pot."
Byantaka told his neighbour, "My friend, your pot died. I was just on my way to tell you the bad news."
His neighbour clapped his hands together in surprise. His face began to swell with anger. He shouted at Byantaka, "I have never heard of a pot dying!"
Byantaka replied, "My friend you should accept these things. Everything that reproduces must die. I was also very sorry about the big pot's death."
His neighbour was very angry and he went to court to report Byantaka. The judge listened to explanations from both of them. He found the owner of the pot was in the wrong and decreed that Byantaka must be allowed to keep the dead pot.
"When Byantaka told you that the pot had reproduced, you accepted. When he says that every living thing which reproduces must die, he is correct." That is how the judge judged the case.
Byantaka's neighbour went home walking like a snail. Byantaka had got the big pot with his cleverness.
You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way:
Byantaka and the dead pot
Author - Peter Kisakye
Translation - Cornelius Wambi Gulere
Illustration - Emily Berg
Language - English
Level - First paragraphs
© Text: Uganda Community Libraries Association (Ugcla) Artwork: African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source http://ugcla.org
